MEGHALAYA GUIDE |
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Meghalaya, one of the smallest states in
India, occupies the plateau and rolling hills
between Assam and Bangladesh. Meghalaya "land of
the rain -clouds" is covered with lush forests,
rich in orchids. Meghalaya
is one of the most beautiful states in India.
Nature has blessed her with abundant rainfall,
sun-shine, virgin forests, high plateaus,
tumbling waterfalls, crystal clear rivers,
meandering streamlets and above all with sturdy,
intelligent and hospitable people.
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Guide |
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MEGHALAYA INFORMATION |
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| Meghalaya was inaugurated
as an autonomous state on April 2,1970. It was declared
as a state of the Indian Union on January 21, 1972.
Meghalaya is situated in the north-eastern region of
India, between the Brahmaputra valley in the north and
the Bangladesh in the south.The state of Meghalaya (the
abode of clouds) is geographically known as the
"Meghalaya Plateau" or the "Shillong Plateau". The area
is made of the oldest rock-formations. Meghalaya
consists of the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills along with
their outliers formed by the Assam ranges. It is the
detached north-eastern extension of the Peninsular
India. Part of it lies buried under the alluvium
deposited by the Ganga-Brahmaputra system of rivers.
This gap is known as Malda gap (between Raj Mahal
hills/Chhota Nagpur and the Shillong Plateau. |
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MEGHALAYA FACTS AND FIGURES |
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Meghalaya at a Glance ...
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Area:
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22,429 sq km |
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Capital: |
Shillong |
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Languages:
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Khasi, Hindi, English |
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Per Capita Income: |
6,260 |
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Religion: |
Hindu |
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Main Income: |
Tourism, Agriculture, Industry |
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Literacy: |
48.26% |
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Districts: |
7 |
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Time to visit: |
All year through |
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MEGHALAYA HISTORY |
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| Meghalaya is the home of the Tribals
especially the Khasis, Jaintias, Mikirs and Cacharis,
who are said to have inhabited this region before the
start of the Christian era. These tribes evolved out of
the migration into north east by the migrants who
belonged to the Indo-Chinese linguistic family, the
Mon-Khmer and Tibeto-Burman. The Khasis came from the
Khasis and Jaintias. The Tibeto-Burman sub-family were
the Naga, Kukichin and Bodo. The Bodos were later
divided into small linguistic groups such as Garo,
Kachari, Mechs, Dimasa, Tippea, Lalung, Rabha, Chutiyas.
The British occupied the Garo Hills in 1872. The tribal
district council was established. The tradition among
the tribals was kingship. The earliest Jaintia Raja is
said to have ruled from 1500AD. They were influenced by
the Hindu culture. The British influence in Meghalaya
extended to the improvement of the landscape,
development of roads. The works for progress and
development of this region is still continuing after
independence and formation of Meghalaya into a state. |
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MEGHALAYA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS |
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| Grotto (Shilloang) » Gleneagles (Shillong) » Word's Lake (Shillong) » Nartiang (Cherrapunjee) » Thadlaskein (Cherrapunjee) » Jakrem (Cherrapunjee) » Dawki (Cherrapunjee) » Ranikar (Cherrapunjee)
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MEGHALAYA FAIRS AND FESTIVALS |
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The people of Meghalaya observe some important festivals
throughout the year. These celebrations usually take the
form of dances, when people can forget the drudgery of
life. Many of these festivals have religious
associations but a few of the celebrations are plainly
secular. A very important festival among the Garos is
the Wangala- a harvest festival held in honour of
Saljong, the Sun-god of fertility. This marks the end of
a period of toil, which brings good yield of the fields.
It is the time to relax and for days the hills and
valleys resound with the distinctive beat of drums. The
dance itself has certain subtle variations, the main
motif being a queue of two parallel lines- one of men
and other of women clad in their festive regalia. Young
and and old join the festivities with equal gaiety.
While the men beat drums, the line moves forward in
rhythmic unison. The 'orchestra' of men consists of
drums, gong and flutes punctuated by the sonorous music
of an indigenous flute made of buffalo horn. There is a
noticeable sense of rhythm in the participants, young
and old, and the vigorous dance leaves a lasting
impression upon the beholder. |
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HOW TO REACH |
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By Air : Guwahati (100 km from Shillong) is the nearest airport
connecting Meghalaya to the outer world. From Shillong
there are state transport buses from the Police Bazaar
stand every half hour to Guwahati and Silchar. Private
coaches are also available. Hiring a taxi is the best
option to get around the state.
By Rail : The nearest railway station is Guwahati,
which is well connected to the rest of the country.
By Road : The state is well connected by good
network of roads. By road Shillong to Calcutta-1184 kms,
Darjeeling-690 kms, Gangtok-692 km, Guwahati-103 km,
Kaziranga-294 km, Aizwal-430 km, Siliguri-578 kms,
Manas-273 kms, Agartala-499 kms, Kohima-469 kms,
Itanagar-481 kms etc. |
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MEGHALAYA MAJOR CITIES |
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| Shillong » Cherrapunjee |
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MEGHALAYA WILDLIFE AND BIRDS |
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Balakram National Park :This park has been established
in the west Garo Hill district in an area of 220sq km.
The nearest town is William Nagar about15km. The
railhead Guwahati is about160km from the park. The
nearest airport is Guwahati which is 170km from the
park.The vegetation consist of tropical moist deciduous
type. The predominant species is moist hill sal.Mammals
found in the park are binturong, clouded leopard,
leopard cat, wolf, sloth bear, elephant, loris, serow,
Reptile found is python. The birds are hornbill, hoolock
etc.October to May are the best months for visiting the
park. |
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MEGHALAYA ARTS AND CRAFTS |
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The Shad Sukmynsiem (Dance of the Blissful Heart) is
popularly known as Shad Weiking. It is so called after
the name of the ground where the dance used to be held
every year. A thanksgiving festival , Shad Suk Mynesiem
is a symbolic offering of salutations to God, homage to
their ancestors and proclamation of unity of the Khasi
people. There is no fixed date for this dance. It used
to be held during the month of April of each year. This
is the most popular dance among the Khasis. It is
organised by the Seng Khasi (Khasi Religion). The dances
last for three days. Only unmarried men and women are
allowed to take part in the dance. Youngsters and
damsels from different part of Khasi hills participate
in the dance. The Shad Sukmynsiem welcomes the whole of
the Khasi community to take part in the dance. There was
no bar for any one to take part in the dance since it is
the traditional dance of the Khasis. Christians or
Hindus as long as they belong to Khasi community could
take part in this dance. Young lads brilliantly clad in
colourful silk dhotis, coat and a plumed turban and
adorning glittering ornaments look like Rajput Princes.
They dance around with a sword or spear in one hand and
a plume in the other. Pretty maidens in magnificent
many-splendoured silk-robes and elaborately decked in
priceless intricately designed ornaments of gold and
silver and wearing a silver crown emerge before use as
apsaras from the world beyond. These 'angels' move in an
inner circle in two's and three's in tiny steps while
the lads form a protective ring around them and flashing
their weapons. |
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MEGHALAYA ECONOMY |
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Of the total area 10% is used for cultivation. The
important crops of the state are potato, rice, maize,
pineapple, banana etc.Rice is the main crop . Other
crops include jute, ginger, mustard, sugarcane, chilli
etc. These crops are produced in substantial quantities
and are being marketed in adjoining states. Meghalaya is
important for fruit cultivation. Fruits include
pineapples, oranges, bananas etc.The irrigation
potential is much larger than the achievement. Only
about 18% of the ultimate capacity for providing water
to the land is being used. |
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